A Sticky Situation (Awkward Love 7)

Sure, he’s attractive. There’s no denying that.

But all the cute in the world doesn’t save you from being a cockhead.Chapter 8Nate“No. It’s not fucking happening,” I growl into the phone.

“But he needs your help,” Kitty says in a small voice. “How can you turn your back on him without hearing him out?”

“Because I’m done. I said it last time, and I meant it.”

I sigh, tossing the grease-stained rag I’m clutching hold of onto the floor, then I wander across the room to my office and sink into my chair. It’s nearly six months to the day since the last time my brother needed me to help him out of a fuck up, so at the very least, he’s consistent.

“Nate, please,” she says, changing tactic. “I know you guys have your differences, but family is family, right?”

“You’ve never met our family if you’re asking me that,” I say with a chuckle.

“He’d help you if you needed—”

“Bullshit he would,” I cut in. “If you’re going to play the emotional blackmail card, at least make it believable.”

“He’s in some serious trouble—”

“When isn’t he in trouble?” I retort. I take a deep breath, trying to rein my anger in. “Look, Kitty, I appreciate you’re his assistant and you wanna help him, but don’t sit there and pretend you know shit about our relationship. Tell Brix if he really needs my help, he knows where to find me.”

“He’s a very busy man—”

“If he needs my help that bad, he’ll find the time to come and talk to me,” I say firmly.

“You mean over to the service shop he gave you?” she taunts.

I let out a low whistle. That was a cheap shot, but considering she’s been licking my brother’s asshole for the better part of six years, I shouldn’t be surprised that some of the old Brix charm has rubbed off on her. Let’s just hope that’s the only thing he’s rubbed off on her.

“Bye, Kitty,” I say with a laugh. “It’s been nice chatting. We should do it again. Say, in six months?”

“Nate—”

But I’ve already hung up.

Six months of nothing, and he didn’t expect to have to do a little bit of groveling in exchange for my help? I know it’s not a one-sided thing, either. I tried plenty of times to reach out and every one of them was shut down with some bullshit excuse. If you’re going to get your assistant to say you’re overseas, try not to be seen in public the same day a few blocks from my damn apartment.

Annoyed, I shove my phone back into my pocket, and stalk back into the shop, burying my head under the hood of my current project. I breathe in and then release it slowly, the second that greasy smell hits my senses, I can feel myself relaxing, but then I think about my brother and the anger begins to surface all over again.

Even when I haven’t heard from him in months, I still get dragged into his drama every fucking day. I guess it comes with being a twin, but I can’t walk down the street without someone thinking I’m him. Whether it be the screaming girls chasing me through the streets or the pissed off gang of bikers who want to kill Brix because he fucked one of their chicks, I’ve copped it all.

My phone buzzes. I reluctantly slide it out of my pocket to see who it is. I’m expecting Kitty, so I’m relieved to see it’s Max, a friend of mine.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey. Tara wants to know why you didn’t call her friend back.”

“Which friend are we talking about?” I ask slowly. “The one with the pet alligator in her bathtub or the one who told me she wanted to skin me alive and make soup out of my bones?”

Max pauses. “Uh, the first one?”

Tara’s blindsided me with so many different chicks in the last few months, I’ve lost track of who’s who. There’s nothing I hate more than being set up, because I’ve been the target of enough of them to know they never end well. It’s always “you’re perfect for my friend, but I forgot to mention she has a penis.” Okay, so that only happened once, but it damaged me for life.

I chuckle. “Do you know what she wanted to do with her Nate soup?”

“No?”

“Feed it to her girlfriend,” I say with a snort. “Though she did invite me over for a threesome.”

“Well, that’s promising, right?” Max says encouragingly.

I laugh. “Tell Tara thanks, I appreciate her taking such an interest in my personal life, but please, for the love of God, stop.”

He sighs. “Okay, but, man, you’re making life hard for me.”

I laugh. “I’m making your life hard? The chick I’m seeing isn’t very impressed that you guys keep—”

“Back up a second, what did you just say?” Max interrupts.